Creamy Green Chile Enchilada Casserole

This craveable, green chile enchilada casserole is the best variation on the internet! It’s creamy, dreamy, tangy, and – if you already have shredded chicken on hand (maybe some intentional best overs Cook Once style or from a rotisserie chicken) – there’s ZERO cooking involved. You read that right. Just mix your filling, layer with tortillas and shredded cheese, and bake. That’s it! It’s the perfect recipe for the busiest of humans and totally delicious!

I’m a BIG fan of casseroles, especially in this particularly busy season of my life with work and two littles at home. I don’t have a lot of time to fuss with a laundry list of ingredients or steps to prepare an elaborate meal, but still want something super nourishing and tasty for my family. Enter this casserole! It is seriously the casserole my dreams are made of.

A lot of the traditional green chile casseroles had cream of chicken soup in the filling. I wanted to protect the creamy nature of the filling, but have a really viable gluten-free option that didn’t involve making your own cream-of-something soup and that was versatile enough to also make dairy-free with a few tweaks. Enter two of my favorite loves, sour cream and cream cheese. The combo of the two makes the filling extra creamy, with just the right amount of tang from the green chiles and lime juice. Everything mixes together in one bowl (no need to dirty any extra dishes), then gets layered in the casserole dish, and baked to bubbly perfection. It’s so easy, I’m confident you’ll find yourself coming back to it over and over again as a dinnertime staple!

Ingredients for Chicken Enchilada Casserole with Green Chiles

• 3 cups of cooked shredded chicken
• 1 cup of sour cream
• 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup of lime juice
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon of onion powder
• 3, 4-ounce cans of green chiles
• 4 cups of shredded Mexican cheese
• 12 corn tortillas

Ingredient Variations and Modifications

This creamy chicken casserole is a 10/10 as written, but if you’re looking for ways to modify it, we’ve got ideas for you below!

• Make it dairy-free –  to make this casserole dairy-free, use a dairy-free sour cream (Kite Hill or Forager make great options) and dairy-free cream cheese (I like Kite Hill), and omit the cheese. Add an extra layer of tortillas on the top and top with a green Chile salsa or enchilada sauce.
• Make it spicy – the green chiles on their own are not inherently spicy, so if you’d like to add a kick to your casserole, add a bit of cayenne or chopped jalapenos in with the creamy chicken mixture, or use spicy green chiles instead of regular canned green chiles.
• Add black olives, black beans, or corn – any combination of these three (or even just one of them) would be really delicious tossed in the casserole itself. Simply stir corn, black beans, and/or black olives in with the chicken mixture.
• Play with garnishes – get creative with your garnishes! Sour cream and thinly sliced jalapeños would both be really delicious adds.

How to Assemble a Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

The first steps in getting a hot, ready-to-devour casserole on the table is prepping components and assembling! Here’s the full (very short) how-to for this one:

1. Make the creamy chicken filling – in a large bowl, mix together the sour cream, cream cheese, lime juice, spices, and green chiles until well incorporated (it’s ok if its not completely smooth! The cream cheese will melt while baking). Then, add the chicken and stir to fully coat.
2. Layer and assemble – line the bottom of a 9×13 dish with a single layer of 6 corn tortillas. Add half of the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas, spread in an even layer, and then sprinkle two cups of cheese over top of the chicken. Repeat the same process for the second layer.

How to Bake Layered Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

The casserole is assembled, and now it’s time to pop it in the oven! Bake the creamy enchilada casserole in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes until the cheese is slightly browned and bubbly. If the cheese isn’t browning, you can turn on the broiler for a couple minutes to brown the top. Garnish the casserole with cilantro, then serve and enjoy!

Mexican Side Dish and Drink Ideas

While this casserole is a filling, balanced meal all on its own, I get wanting to create a little bit of a table spread if time allows! Below, you’ll find our best side and drink accompaniments to serve alongside your creamy enchilada casserole:

• Mexican Street Corn and Kale Slaw
• Mexican Corn Salad Recipe
• Mexican Coleslaw with Creamy Avocado Dressing
• Black Bean and Corn Salad
• The Best Pineapple Margarita
• Fresh Lime & Jalapeno Margarita
• How to Make a Margarita

How to Store and Reheat

Store your leftover casserole in an airtight container (or covered casserole dish) in the refrigerator, and reheat individual portions in the microwave (or oven). If you stored your casserole in the casserole dish and want to reheat the whole thing, feel free to pop it in the oven at 350°F until heated through.

Frequently Asked Questions